


Someone to watch over me

by ALannister



Category: Mahabharata - Vyasa
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-23
Updated: 2015-06-23
Packaged: 2018-04-05 18:20:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,145
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4190154
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ALannister/pseuds/ALannister
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Great was the man who kept his promise to his wife. Great was the woman who inspired love in such a man.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Someone to watch over me

_Monster! Raakshas!_

 

_Kinslayer! Cannibal!_

 

Bhim opened his eyes as the various voices clamoured for attention in his head. They had left him alone in his _shibir_. None dared enter his private space today. Just yesterday a servant would have been scrubbing him clean, praising his valour in the battle field. Shri Krishna would have then entered with Bhratashri  & Arjun to discuss the strategies for the next day. Even in the midst of war they would find something to smile about. Some jokes would be exchanged, a light banter would ensue. 

 

He smiled.

 

But the smile vanished from his face as a tangible silence surrounded him from all sides. Running his hand across his face he got up from the bath tub.

 

Red…

 

The water had turned blood red.

 

Or was it just blood there. Had there been any water? Or had he truly bathed in blood?

 

Drawing a deep breath he walked away from the bath tub wishing he could walk away from his memories that easily.

 

Putting on a fresh pair of clothes he reclined against a cushion, a leg drawn up with the other under him, a shawl drawn over his broad shoulders. He closed his eyes once again, giving in to exhaustion, waiting for sleep to take over, for the day to finally end, and take away his loneliness with it.

 

He stiffened slightly as he heard the tinkle of anklets. He relaxed again as he recognized her by her mere presence. Even with his eyes closed he saw her standing there, with a candle in her hands, moving about lighting the oil lamps.

 

Slowly, Draupadi walked to his side of the bed. She studied the steady rise & fall of his chest.

 

“ _Aryaputra_?”

 

_He wished she would go away. He wished she would stay._

 

_He wished the others had not left him alone. He wished the others would leave him alone with her._

 

He felt her move. Then she was sitting next to him. Next she was resting her cheek against his chest.

 

“ _Aryaputra_?”

 

She ran her hand over his broad chest. He felt her trace a wound just beneath his heart before kissing it.

 

“I know you are awake.”

 

“What do you want Draupadi?”

 

She lifted her head & looked him in the eye, a little hurt showing on her face.

 

“Draupadi? Why did you call me that? You have always called me  _Priye_. Am I no longer dear to you, my Lord?”

 

“What does a _Kshatraani_ want with a monster? Why are you here Draupadi when everyone else has had the good sense of leaving me alone?”

 

She studied him for a second before embracing him. In a calm, soothing voice she said,

 

“Monster? You are not the monster. You are the slayer of monsters. The one you killed today was a monster. You are a keeper of vows. You vowed you would get me his blood for my hair. You kept your vow. For your enemies you are death personified. You are the one who protects this family. I felt cursed when the man who won me divided me among his brothers. But today, I thank all the Gods for making me your wife. The ones who call you a monster have never seen you care for your brothers. They have never experienced your love like I have. They have never felt your tender caresses, your reassuring embraces. They never saw you cover a hundred miles to get me a few flowers. They did not see you slip me delicious foods from Virata’s kitchen, always making sure I had not forgotten to eat while I served the Queen. With a man like you among us, women in society feel safe. Your fear alone keeps thousands of women safe. They know what you did to Keechak, they saw what you did today & they will see what you will do tomorrow with Duryodhan.”

 

She felt a low rumble in his chest as he laughed slightly.

 

“You don’t need to remind me of my vows. I will still kill Duryodhan tomorrow. What does a monster care anyways?”

 

As Draupadi shifted Bhim glanced a sheen of tears in her eyes.

 

“You do not need to be reminded of your vows my Lord. You are not the sort to forget anything. And neither will you forgive. In that way we both are very similar.”

 

She got up to leave but Bhim caught her arm.

 

“Did I hurt you with what I just said Panchali?”

 

“No.”

 

“They say I am your slave. They say you have enslaved me to the point where I killed my own brother in the most cruel way.”

 

“Does that bother you my Lord?”

 

“More than their calling me a monster does.”

 

He saw a little smile play around her lips.

 

“Do you find my love for you funny  _Priye_.”

 

She smiled again, this time more clearly, the hurt & tears almost invisible in her eyes now.

 

“I smiled the second time because you called me  _Priye_. I would never have you call me anything else. Ever! And I smiled the first time at the naivety of others. How unfortunate are they that they have never seen your love. And how fortunate am I, a woman won by one, but who lost her heart to another, to have you as my Lord, as my husband.”

 

Bhim smiled. He ran his fingers through her hair pulling out a few clips that held them. She had washed her hair. The light fragrance  of lotuses was let loose in the air as her tresses spilled over his hands. He had always loved her hair. Smooth & thick, a rich black in colour, reaching way below her waist, they had fascinated him to the point of distraction. How could he forgive Dushshasan when he had touched those very same hair with his filthy hands, dragged her by them, insulted her.  He now wrapped those hair once again around his hands gently.

 

“If it were decent for Kshatriya women I would never let you tie your hair.”

 

Taking out the last few pins which held her hair back Draupadi smiled at him coyly.

 

“Then from now on, when we are alone I will never tie my hair.”

 

He studied the woman lying so close to him, whose beauty defied her age. He studied the desire lurking in the depths of her dark eyes.

 

“It is not my turn yet  _Priye_.”

 

“For all these years we both have done our duties, followed our Dharma religiously. Surely we are both allowed one night of pleasure my Lord.”

 

How could he have turned her down then? They did say she had enslaved him. Maybe they were right after all. When he was with her it didn’t matter what they said. With her by his side they all looked too insignificant. In her arms he could silence the voices clamouring inside his head.

 


End file.
